Destined
by The Corsair's Quill
Summary: She was a Princess when she met him. He was the pirate that saved her. Where Emma chooses her own destiny.


**Trigger warning: there is a scene which maaay be a bit violent, so please be cautious.**

* * *

She was _Princess Emma_ when she first met him- Captain Killian Jones, the most cutthroat pirate of the seas, drinking and making merry with his crew and the tavern maids- the very tavern that Emma had sneaked to on the eve of her twentieth name day, to have at least one night of reckless adventure before she became someone's bride and whisked away from her life as princess and daughter to be queen and wife.

The moment she'd entered the tavern, her eyes fell on the most striking man she'd ever seen. It wasn't his handsomeness that intrigued her, although she would be lying if she said that that hadn't been a key factor- it was the pain that he seemed to hide behind his boisterous personality. She knew something about hiding what you truly felt behind a mask, she'd been doing that for years now.

Eventually, he found his way over to her, cornering her at the bar, where she'd been nursing her tankard of ale (and maybe taking occasional glances at the pirate).

" _Would you like a refill?" he asked, startling her from her thoughts._

 _"Oh!" she looked up at him, thrown off by how blue his eyes were, unconsciously licking her lips. His eyes drifted down to them, before he quickly looked up, smirking. "No, thank you," she managed to stutter out, her cheeks flaming in embarrassment._

 _Tongue in cheek, he turned to the bartender, and ordering his drink. Grabbing it, he turned to go- only to bend next to her, his breath warm at her ear, "Next time, don't stand on ceremony," he whispered, walking away with a wink._

She'd tried to resist him, she really did- but her curiosity won over and the moment she'd walked over to his table, she never looked back. They'd stayed up until early dawn, simply engaging in conversation about everything, and nothing. She'd confessed about being a princess looking for adventure, he'd confessed to being in the navy before he turned to piracy in the name of his brother; she'd never understood how her parent's could have possibly fallen in love in mere hours, but as the night dragged onto day, she'd realized how, for she'd fallen in love with the wayward pirate.

" _So, this is it?" Emma whispered, looking close to tears and her cheeks red with the early morning wind. They were at the docks, having left the tavern behind hours ago, opting for some fresh air and quiet. She was sitting facing the sea, hoping that he wouldn't see how distraught she was._

 _She felt his hand reach out for hers, weave their fingers together and squeeze gently. "Princess-" he began, but she cut him off with a pleading glance._

 _"Emma. Just- Emma."  
_

 _"You'll never be '_ just' _anything, love," he smiled painfully. "_ Emma _, I've never met a woman as enchanting and beautiful as you. I've always felt the need to hide what I really feel, to show the world that I'm fierce- that I have no weakness. But with you," he sighed, his other hand reaching to cup her cheek, making her close her eyes and lean into his touch. "With you, I find no need to put up walls. You've stripped me to my soul, and I find myself completely under your spell."_

 _"Killian-" she gasped, her bottom lip trembling, her heart skipping with his words. "Is this... insane? Is it just me?" she whispered, her expression awed. "We only met last night- we come from completely different worlds!"  
_

 _His face fell at that, his hand falling from her cheek as he looked away._

 _"But I- I'm in love with you," she finished, giggling at the way his head snapped back to look at her, his eyes going bug-eyed.  
_

 _He shook his head, grinning widely, "I love you, too..._ Emma _."_

-/-

They'd agreed to run away together, ready to start life anew. Emma was ready to give up her throne, her life- everything. But that's not what life had in store for her.

" _What do you mean 'betrothed'?!" Emma exclaimed, tears stinging her eyes as she stared accusingly at her parents. "I don't want to marry some_ stranger _I don't even know!"_

 _"Emma, honey, please-"  
_

 _"No, mother! I want to marry someone I_ love," _she cried. "This is not fair. You have that, so why can't I? Father threw away his throne for you, but you want me to marry someone so you could make an ally?!"_

 _"We need all the help we can get, Emma! Regina's last attack proved how vulnerable we are." Her mother looked desperate, her eyebrows pulled together in a pained frown. Her father let go of her mother's hand, reaching out to pull Emma into his embrace._

 _"I'm so sorry, little duck," he whispered. "If- if you still don't want to do this, we can figure something out."  
_

 _She wanted to tell him then, wanted to tell him about how she met this man- and her whole world changed. How everything made sense now, and how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. But the words were lodged in her throat, as her she saw how desperately her parents needed this alliance to work. She closed her eyes, swallowing past the tears as she let out a shuttered breath. "I'll do it. I'll marry King Louis. I'll do it for our people," she decided, standing with her back straight and chin up, a façade forming already- one that would only grow more natural as the months pass._

-/-

She'd written to Killian the moment the preparations for the wedding began, begging him to take her away in some letters, and expressing how she had to put the needs of her people above her own in others. Her mind and heart in constant conflict as the day had loomed like a dark cloud on the horizon.

There had been endless rumors she'd heard about King Louis, known for his hunger for conquests and incredible wit. She'd heard about how he lost his wife a year into their marriage, and how much he had changed since- had lost the light from his life. When she'd first met him, she didn't know what to expect, despite all that'd she'd heard of him.

He'd been courteous and polite, carrying himself with a grace only years of grooming could have achieved. He never pushed her, engaged in conversation about their shared interests- he was... _nice_. But, he didn't make her heart race every time she saw him, he rarely smiled- and most of all, she didn't love him. It had been clear that a darkness lingering around him, as if warning her to stay away.

She knew she had to do this, no matter how much she hated it. Maybe she could learn to love the King, and live the life of a Queen like she was born to. _But you weren't destined for this,_ a voice inside of her kept saying, making it hard for her to breathe sometimes.

It had been on the eve of yet another important day of her life when she saw Killian again.

" _What- How are you here?" she exclaimed, her arms wrapped tight around Killian's neck. "Gods, I never thought I would see you again, Killian," she breathed against his neck._

 _"Emma, love," he sighed, holding her tighter for scant a moment before he pulled away, her hands cradling her cheeks, looking at her adoringly, the corner's of his eyes crinkling. His eyes shone silver in the moonlight, and she could see the pain behind his eyes.  
_

 _"You're here to rescue me, are you not?" she asked, her hands gripping his tight._ _When she saw his face fall, she knew the answer. "No, please. Don't do this, Killian," she clutched his leather coat in her hands so tight her knuckles turned white._

 _He looked anguished, imploring her with sorrowful eyes. "I hate to leave you, Emma. Do you think I want this? But in all your letters, you've been so conflicted between your love for me and your love for your people. And as much as it_ breaks my heart _, the truth is... you have to forget about me. You have to marry that king, because that's what you were meant for all your life. What kind of life could I possibly provide you? A life of piracy is riddled with dangers, ones I cannot have you in line of."_

 _She stumbled away from him, gripping the poster of her bed for support as she swallowed thickly. "Don't tell me I was destined for this," her tone was low and bitter. "Do you truly believe I'm destined to fall in love, only to marry someone else and live the rest of my life unhappy?" her voice broke towards the end as she sat on her bed, her grip tightening._

 _Killian was quick to move towards her, kneeling at her feet and taking her hands in his. "Of course not. Emma-"_

 _"Don't tell me to forget about you," she cut him off, meeting his gaze with tear-filled eyes. "I will never forget about you."  
_

 _He sighed heavily, resting his forehead on their entwined hands. "I will never forget about you, Emma," he vowed. "But I can't take you away. I can't make you give up all this-"_

 _"No. You're just making me give up my love," her voice was cold steel now, as she pulled away from him. Walking over to the window he'd come through, she continued, her back to him. "You are just like my parents. Only, they don't realise what they are making me give up. But you do, and you want that_ anyway _."_

 _He shook his head, wanting to tell her_ no, he doesn't want her to. He just wants her to live a safe, happy life _, but he couldn't get it past the lump in his throat._

 _"Go," her whisper shattered his heart.  
_

 _"What?"  
_

 _"Go," she repeated, finally turning to face him, the moonlight making her look breathtakingly beautiful in her heartache. "You will regret this for the rest of your life, Captain. You gave up on us, you remember that," she walked up to him, standing so close that their lips were touching. "And when you realise that you've made the worst decision of your life,_ I _will be suffering the consequences." Her voice had taken a venomous turn._

 _"Emma-"  
_

 _"Get out, before I call the guards."  
_

-/-

She'd truly believed that that would be the last time she'd ever hear from him. When she'd married King Louis the next day, she'd felt the shackles of fate grip her tight, no longer allowing her the freedom of an unmarried girl. She was a woman now, Queen of The Dragon Isles, wife of King Louis. She was _destined_ to rule his kingdom along side him now.

She'd tried to be happy, accept her new life. But she'd never been so far away from home, with no one for company. As welcoming as the people were for their new queen, was how unwelcoming the court was to her presence. She was never asked to help take major decisions, she was shut out from the news and politics of the outside world and rarely allowed the freedom to explore her new home beyond the castle walls. She'd felt suffocated and alone, the adventurous spirit in her slowly dimming.

She'd tried to persuade her husband to let her be a part of the council, imploring him to understand how useless she felt in this kingdom, and how she'd been trained for this all her life. But he rarely gave her the time of the day, only seeing her for what she was- the person who could produce him heirs. Every night, he would _perform his marital duties_ , but he'd never stayed longer than he had to, leaving as soon as he was done with her.

The first few week that this had happened, she'd spent the nights crying into her pillow. After a point of time, she'd come to realise that he didn't care for her- no one did in this land, and she'd learnt to hide he emotions and retire into a shell. (But a part of her, a vengeful part of her that never wanted to give the king the pleasure of having an heir, made her seek a healer to give her a potion that prevented her from getting impregnated.)

As the months passed, she grew more distant than ever, yearning to go back to her kingdom and visit her parents. She'd written to them countless times, begging them to at least come visit her, but she'd never heard back. This only made her wonder if they even got her letters. She'd tried fighting with her husband, she's tried throwing tantrums- until the one day he'd slapped her in front of the entire court, calling her an insolent bitch, shocking her beyond belief and reducing her to tears as she ran to the shelter of her rooms.

That was the day when she'd realised that her life was devoid of all light, leaving her to wallow in darkness and desperation. It was then, when she was most depraved from human contact that she smuggled a pleading letter to her former love, urging him to free her from a sham of a marriage and a tyrant of a husband. The man she'd paid handsomely to deliver her letter, brought back the first good news since the night of twentieth name day.

 _My Darling Emma,_

 _I am so sorry for what my decision has led to. You were right; I regretted leaving you the very moment I jumped off your balcony. You're pleas have haunted my every waking and slumbering moment. The thought of your happiness was the only thing that had kept me from seeking you out. But now that I know the atrocities that you've had to endure, I will come for you at once._

 _Stay strong, my love. I will find you._

 _Yours, Always,_

 _Killian._

-/-

After weeks of careful planning, the time for action was finally here. She'd been cautious, sending encrypted letters through an entrusted, and not to mention, extremely well paid, sell sword. She gave no outward sign of her escape plan, going about her life as before.

But something must have alerted the king, because the week before she was to escape, he had her closely guarded- never letting her have a moment to herself. She didn't let that deter her though; everything was already planned and her pirate was on his way to rescue her.

-/-

"Milady? Milady!" an insistent voice drew her from her musings, making her sit straighter instinctively.

"Yes?"

"The King has requested milady's presence at court," the young maid stuttered out, looking at her feet submissively.

Emma smiled at her, although her heart was beating frantically in her chest and sweat trickled down her neck. "I shall be there at once," she replied, barely concealing her nerves.

She walked into the throne room with her head held high and no hint of fear on her face. She curtsied politely, smiling demurely at her King. "You wanted to see me, Your Highness?" she asked, her tone sweet and soft.

He smiled at her, showing a hint of pearly white teeth, beckoning her closer with a flick of his hand. Her head bowed and teeth gritted, she walked to stand next to him. "Ah, Emma, my dear," he called, faux-affectionately. "It seems that there is a rat in our midst."

Emma had to bit her tongue to keep her eyes from widening and only hope that he couldn't hear the wild beating of her heart. "Whatever do you mean, milord?"

He stared at her with piercing, steel grey eyes- and for a moment she was afraid he could read her mind. His gaze roamed her face, trying to catch a glimpse of a lie, and she could only hope that her years of training to keep her emotions in check were enough for now. He narrowed his eyes at her, brows furrowed together in suspicion. "Why don't you tell me, _love_?" he asked smoothly, snapping his fingers.

She swallowed thickly, turning around to see what had captured everyone's attention. And what she saw almost made her lose her composure. It was the man she'd bribed to get her letters to Killian, the sell sword, beaten to a pulp and dragged into the throne room by two men who had to hold him up.

He was so bloodied, she would've hardly believe he was alive, if it weren't for the twitching of his hands. She sucked in a harsh breath, one that she could pass off as shock at the violent sight in front of her, and not what it implied. She turned her gaze away from the man, pushing down on her mounting worry and guilt. "Who is this man?" she demanded, surprised at how steady her voice was.

King Louis barked out a laugh, prompting his courtiers to join in hesitantly. "Why, you ask as if you didn't know!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining wickedly. "I would have believed you, truly, if it weren't for the letter that was found on the man's possession." The laughter had died down and tension was thick in the room. Emma felt the room close in on her, as she met the King's burning gaze.

"Do you know what the letter says?" he asked, his smile morphing to a disgusted grimace.

Emma trembled where she stood, her eyes widening in horror. She wordlessly shook her head, already knowing what it would be. He took a folded parchment from his pocket, opening it with a flourish. "Well, it was encrypted, of course. But I have master deciphers at my disposal, for whom this was child's play. Do you want to read it out?" he offered, but he went on without giving her chance to answer. "It says that this pirate has plans of _rescuing_ you, saving you from this _despondent_ _life_. Is this what you call an unhappy life? You have all the riches you could as for, you have control over half my land- _You're the bloody fucking Queen!"_ he roared, making Emma flinch visibly and take a frightened step back. "What more could you possibly want?" he demanded.

Emma pressed her lips thinly, trying to quell her tears. After trying so hard to keep this from reaching the King, she never anticipated him finding out. Not when she was so close to freedom. There was no way out of this, but to try and beseech to his forgiving side. "I want love," she choked out, blinking away her tears. "All you speak of are material things, but all I've ever wanted was love. And pirate he may be, but I love him. I've loved him long before I met him. Your Highness," she knelt at her feet, looking up at him pleadingly, paying no mind to how woebegone she looked. "I pray that you understand this, not as my husband but as my King. All I want is the freedom to live my life the way _I_ wish it, to be happy. And I am so very sorry, but I am not happy. Not here, and not with my life as Queen. I implore you to grant me my freedom and let me walk away. My title, my riches... they mean nothing if I have no love. That is all that I've ever wanted." She shamelessly clutched at his leg, unmindful of the tears streaming down her face. "I beg you, please. Just let me go."

His face was stony, not even looking at her through out her whole speech, his hands gripping the knobs on his throne. He carelessly shook her off, standing regally and addressing the court. "Queen Emma will be put to trial."

"For what crimes!" she demanded, her anger quick to flare up.

"For conspiracy against the King," he declared, his steely gaze boring into her. "Does anyone wish to represent my Queen?" he asked, already knowing no one would dare.

"I shall defend myself," she snapped, her chin up and shoulders squared.

King Louis looked almost amused as he returned to his seat and steepled his fingers. "That's not how it works in _my_ kingdom, my dear."

"Probably because of it's unworthy ruler!" she spat, feeling her heart deflate on the inside. His eyes flashed dangerously, eyebrows raised in contempt.

"Very well then. What do you have to say for your various crimes? One count of conspiracy to ruin your King's honor, one count of deception on account of your _clandestine_ affair, with a pirate nonetheless. You would have ruined my name all across the realm, as the Queen who left her King to become a pirate's _whore_ ," he spat. "How _are_ you going to defend yourself?"

Her cheeks flamed in rage and humiliation, "I did not wish to deceive _or_ ruin you!"

"But you have _anyway_. And that is unforgivable. If I let my own _wife_ get away with treason, what example does that set for my people?"

"Wh-what?" she stuttered, losing hold of her careful control of her emotions. Fear gripped her heart as King Louis once again stood, ready to dole out her sentence. "No, Louis, please-"

"Silence! Don't you dare say my name you insolent wench," he hissed. Clearing his throat, he declared, "Queen Emma of The Dragon Isles is stripped of her title and her lands," he began, her eyes widening. "She is stripped of her position at court. And as punishment to her treason, she is awarded twenty lashes," she gasped out loud, "and life imprisonment. Furthermore," he stared at her when he said this, "our alliance with Misthaven is nullified. We are no longer allies to Snow White and her Prince, and they will no longer be under our protection."

"No! It is me who committed the crimes, don't make my people answer for it!" she begged, struggling as two burly guards caught her by the arms. "No, please! Please don't do this!" she begged, squirming and fighting the increasingly tight grip on her arms. They dragged her to the whipping post, and cuffed her to it, listening to her cries mercilessly.

"Please, don't!" she exclaimed as someone tore through the buttons and laces at the back of her dress, leaving her back bare. Gooseflesh rose as cold air nipped at her naked skin. Emma continued to cry and beg, but nothing could have stopped the first lash.

She cried out hoarsely, her eyes widening with shock as her whole back stung from the bite of the leather. Everything disappeared except the burn that the leather straps left behind, knocking the breath out of her. It was all white noise and burning pain, nothing else mattered. She gasped, sucking in a deep breath. "Please," she whimpered, when she heard the snap of leather behind her, pushing herself as close to the post as she could, wishing that she could just disappear from there. But no one heard her plea, as the second lash landed on her back, the sting sharper as it landed on some of the previous ones.

By the tenth lash, she was struggling to stay standing, her face a mess of tears. The next lash broke skin as she screamed out loud and sobbed desperately. "Stop! Louis, please! Have mercy!" she begged. She even felt the man behind her hesitate.

"Did I ask you to stop?!" the king demanded. "I said twenty lashes, did I not? Do you dare disobey your King?"

She realised for the first time how cruel the world could be- and how utterly heartless her husband is. "My only crime was to fall in love," she whispered, praying if there were Gods out there, that they would hear her and save her from this savagery. "Is this what I'm destined for?"

When the next lash fell, she forced herself not to cry out, biting through the skin of her lip to stop the sobs from spilling out. Every lash that followed painted her back red, whether with blood or welts, but she never made a sound. By the twentieth lash, she was hanging limply by the shackles that tied her to the post. Through hooded eyes, she glanced at the disgruntled King, and allowed herself a smile of victory before she descended into unconsciousness.

-/-

It had been a week since her imprisonment, still dressed in the tattered remains of her dress. She could hardly move, hardly breathe- every movement making her aware of the wounds caused by the cat-o-nine-tails, the pain almost blinding. She'd gotten a slight fever from infection, which thankfully broke yesterday. She's been in constant agony, nursing heartbreak and the physical trials her body had been through.

All she did was sleep, and pray that she would find solace from this endless torment. She'd lost all hope of reuniting with Killian, knowing that there was no doubt that she wasn't heavily guarded. She carefully pulled the scratchy blanket around her, stifling her screams when the rough-spun rubbed against her poorly healed wounds. She sighed heavily, swallowing back her tears. She had no energy left to cry, and no one left to cry for.

Just as she was settling in for another night of agony, she heard commotion down by the door of the dungeons. She felt hope flare in her chest, but quickly snuffed it out. _Probably drunken guards_ , she told herself, sitting carefully back on her stone bed. But soon enough she heard the noise grow, as the dungeon door slam open and the loud slap of boots on the ground echoing in the space.

"Emma!" She felt her heart stop beating when she heard her name, the voice so fondly familiar that tears sprung in her eyes. It was Killian! The voice was muffled and quite far away, but she would know that voice _anywhere._ It was her Killian, he'd come for her.

"Killian!" she tried to shout, but her voice was still gone from last week. All that came out was a breathy noise. She cleared her parched throat, rushing towards the cell bars and gripping it tight. "'m here!" she strained, her voice finally audible- but just barely.

"Emma?" he sounded hopeful, and nearer. "Hold on, my love."

And the next moment, he rounded the corner to her cell, stopping mid-track when he saw her, broken and dirty, eyes red rimmed and weary and just so defeated. His eyes widened with unrestrained anger as he rushed towards her, keys clutched in his hand.

Emma stared wordlessly at him, her eyes already spilling over with tears, as she reached through the bars to touch his face, allowing herself to revel in the warmth of his skin. She closed her eyes, finally allowing herself a smile. "I knew you would come for me. I knew it," she whispered, reverently tracing his features.

He grabbed her hands, pressing indulgent kisses to her knuckles, her palms, her fingers, squeezing them gently. "Step back, my love," he instructed softly. Reluctant to even let go for a few seconds, she obliged, shivering at the sudden lack of warmth.

The next second she was in his arms. She cried out, pushing him away when his hands touched her back, stumbling slightly, almost falling if it weren't for his steady grip on her arm. "Emma?" he gasped, pulling away from her slightly.

But the pain was too much, and she faltered on her feet, black dots clouding her vision. Killian barely caught her as she collapsed, his cries of her name echoing through the cell.

-/-

When she woke, it was with a gasp and sharp pain across her back. She tried to get up, but her arms were too weak to hold her up. "Easy- easy, love!" a panicked voice warned, coming closer.

She wondered whether she was dead or dreaming, because it couldn't possibly be-

"Killian?" she called out, her voice scratchy and hands reaching out blindly.

She felt warm, large hands cover her own, squeezing reassuringly. "Aye, lass. It's me," he confirmed, crouching in front of her. "Emma," he whispered, his voice breaking and eyes filling up with tears. "I am so sorry-"

"Shhhh," she cut him off, her fingers pressing against his lips. "It's not your fault," she croaked out, but he shook his head violently.

"I never should have let you marry him. If I'd just-"

"I love you," she whispered, stopping him mid-sentence. "Just- I just love you."

His face softened at hearing that, "I love you, Emma. My Emma."

"Yours," she promised.

-/-

"Emma, what happened?" he whispered later that night as he rubbed a cool salve on her back, speeding up the healing process.

She hardly hesitated before telling him the whole thing, her eyes never straying from his, watching as they grew stormier.

"The bloody bastard!" he yelled, pushing back from his crouch and punching the nearby wall.

"Killian!" she exclaimed, sitting up and clutching a sheet to her front, saving her modesty. "I don't care anymore. I don't want to think about it. It's all in the past," she explained softly. "Let it go, and let us live our lives."

He came to stand between her legs, his hands cradling her face. "What of your parents, love?" he questioned, his eyes boring into hers.

"They never needed Louis's help. They just didn't realise it then," she sighed, leaning her forehead to his. "But I would really like to go see them."

"Anything, my love. Anything for you," he promised.

"Never leave me," she begged, her voice catching.

He pressed his lips to hers, sliding over them gently, barely a caress. Of all the scenarios she's imagined their first kiss to be like, it was never like this. And this was _perfect_. "Never," he breathed, pulling back slightly.

He knelt down in front of her, holding her hand in his, and for a bizarre moment she thought he was going to propose. "I swear my fealty to you, Emma. Everything I am, and everything I have...it is yours, forever. I swear to protect you and your heart, always," he vowed, making her cry as she pressed her lips to his, kissing him with all she had.

He brushed away her tears, pushing away a stray lock of hair. "I have never set eyes upon a more enchanting creature," he echoed from long ago. "You're the siren of my heart, Emma."

"You're what I was destined for, Killian."

* * *

 **I'd love to hear what you guys think about this! Review?**


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